You Are a Blessing

Good Sunday to you all! 

Had some time to create a card for the Flower Challenge, where the theme this month

 is to Add Sparkle.

Lots of shine and sparkle with the Greetery's new watering can.

It's not always easy to photograph sparkle, but here's a better shot of the

glitter spray and glitter glue I used.

My 'copper' watering can got some sparkle too with green and copper embossing powder.

I only used 2 of the 3 stamping steps for my copper embossed can, and versamarked

onto a teal card stock die cut.

The tiny tag is from PTI, and the sentiment can be found among the 

scripture verses in the Stamp Simply Words of Encouragement stamp set.

I'm so grateful for scripture and faith sentiments from the stamp companies.

They make it easy to send God's blessings across the miles!

Hope your week is full of God's Grace!

Supplies:

The Greetery: Sprinkled With Kindness,  Budding Beauties, Fresh Floral 

Background Stamp

PTI: Nestitng Basics: Oval, Nesting Basics Pierced Oval

Stamp Simply: Words of Encouragement

Imagine: Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray, Sparkle

Memory Box: Fairy Sugar Lavender Ice

Altenew: Inks

Prima: Metalic Watercolors

Stampendous: PearlLustre Peridot Embossing Powder

Tonic Studios: Nuvo Copper Blush EP

The Flower Challenge #47 Add Sparkle

The Card Concept: Dog Days of Summer

The Card Concept has a new challenge for you, Dog Days of Summer

Before Covid hit us, I adopted a puppy after years of not having a dog.

Ella Belle is a Poodle/Maltese mix (and I'm sure there's more thrown in there),

and she will be one year old next month. 

She's won our hearts, despite chewing baseboards, and marking her territory

throughout the house. I forgot how much work training a pup requires!

I decided she's smarter than my husband and me, as we are the ones who

have been trained! She knows when to get me up, when to go for a walk, 

when it's time for a treat, and when to alert me that the wind is blowing 

outside!

Oh how I love her!

When I saw this puppy die from Simon Says, Lil' Critters: Schnauzer, 

(Oh I'm sure there's some Schnauzer in her too... she loves to dig!) 

I knew I had to have it! For this card, I Copic colored my puppy, 

and added sentiment words from Don't Forget to Write, a 

Betsy Veldman set from PTI.

The fabulously colorful designer papers are from Poppystamps.

Garden Folly is a double sided 6x6 pad.

The Card Concept is trying something new this year. Instead of going on

summer break, some of us agreed to keep it going though the summer.

So far, you all think that's a good idea, and have played along.

Hope you got some inspiration today. Need more? Check out the 

Card Concept Blog.

Have a great week, and hope to see you in the lineup!

Peach Jam

Good Sunday Morning!

I'm sharing a post full of yummy goodness this morning. Hope you enjoy!

Summers are a time to pick and transform our abundant fruit into jam.

The freshest and ripest fruit make the best jam. So, early in the morning, basket in hand

I picked the most beautiful plump peaches from heavily laden branches.

It takes about 4 cups of pealed finely chopped peaches for one batch of jam.

Organization is key for jam making. All the squeaky clean jars look like lined up 

battle ready soldiers

Here's a batch of sealed jars about to come to a boil. This process seals the lids.

Labeled and ready to taste!

Several jars will get a bonnet and tag, and will be ready to give as gifts 

during the holidays.

Betsy's new set, Print Shop Peachy Keen is the perfect set to create tags for my jam.

I made a couple dozen of these. Together with homemade bread at Christmas time,

they're a big hit with busy friends and neighbors.

There's a supply list of stamps at the end of this post.

Hope you enjoyed a little 'taste' of how I keep busy while being sheltered.

Coffee, toast, and homemade jam... doesn't get much better than this!

Stay well, my friends!

Supplies

The Greetery: Print Shop Peachy Keen, Just Peachy Sentiments, 

Just Mason Around, Window Pane Plaid Background Stamp.

PTI: Canned, Tag Sale #4, Jar Bonnet, Cardstock

Altenew Inks

Keeping Christmas: July

Christmas in July!

Welcome friends to 'Keeping Christmas', July's post. So happy you stopped by

for a visit... I have a pair of Christmas cards, hopefully to bring you some cheer.

1st in frosty blues,

2nd in Petal pinks.

All stamps and dies from the Greetery today. 

Look close, and you can see some Fairy Sugar Glitter Glue (Lavender Ice), from

Memory Box, just to add a bit of sparkle.

A single jewel for each card, on a snowflake.

And a matching envelope for each card, will make it easier during the 

busiest time of the year.

Hope a bit of Christmas cheer brightened your day. Need a bit more?

How about Angela Landsbury singing, We Need a Little Christmas,

from Aunty Mame...

Angela Lansbury - We Need A Little Christmas (from the Broadway musical MAME)

Honestly love that woman!

Here's a list of the other Keeping Christmas designers:

Be sure to stop by and see what they have for you today.

Kelly Lunceford (Creator)

 Claire Broadwater

 Lori Tecler

 Nance Salkeld

 Nina Forsyth

 Nancy Guse

 Marybeth Lopez

 Nancy Penir

 Carol Hintermeier 

And a list of Supplies:

The Greetery: Frosty Corners Dies, Fir & Foliage, Nordic Frames,

Pine Blossom (Sentiment), Envelopes, EnvelopeFlap Stencils

Open Studio (Memory Box): Fairy Sugar Lavender Ice

Altenew: Inks

Ranger: Distress Oxide Inks (sponged)

Christmas in July

It's Christmas in July at the Card Concept! And we have this holiday themed photo

as inspiration:

Now, our challenge to you is to create a card with a style in mind.

The inspiration photo, with it's prominent tree was my starting point.

The Card Concept #138b {Christmas in July}

The clean white background, the tree is where I began for my graphic

and layered card.

Hope you find some time to play along. We love to see how you were 

inspired. 

Have a wonderful week!

Supplies:

PapertreyInk: 

O'Tannenbaum, Nesting Basics: Oval Die set, & Nesting

Basics: Pierced Oval Die set. Pure Poppy Pattern Pack.

Tremedous Tags: Star

The Greetery: A2 Envelopes, Striped Stencil

Balloon Bouquet

Finally got to play with the new Balloon Bouquet from the Greetery.

Fortunately it was restocked and after ordering it and a few other stamps and dies,

delivery was quick!

Lots to love about the stamps that create the bright balloon! 

Do you have a favorite? Not telling mine, but Betsy's color combo with the pink and

gray is sweet for a baby card!

Have a great day!

Strawberry Jam

How y'all doing? Well and safe, I hope!

I recently received a driveby gift of homemade Strawberry Jam from a friend, and thought

I'd repay with some homemade tags she could add to the next batch. Our valley has 

fresh, ripe delicious strawberries, April through August, and then again October 

through Christmas! 

I used several stamp and die sets from different companies, Concord & 9th, 

PTI, MFT and Elizabeth Crafts.

I've saved dozens of stamp containers from PTI over the years, and love them

for repurposing. 

The super big berry tag from C9 says it all!

I loved how PapertreyInk included so many sweet details in their Strawberry

Patch set.

The MFT tag has a couple of 'awnings' you can add to the top. 

Well that's all for now, I seem to be craving a bagel with cream cheese and 

strawberry jam... homemade of course. And then it's off to do a driveby...

Have a wonderful week!

Supplies:

PapertreyInk: Strawberry Patch, Strawberry Patch Sentiments,

Background Basics: Super Gingham, Garden Variety 1 & 2, Canned,

TagSale: Quilted

Concord & 9th: Sweet Strawberries

MFT: Treat Tag

Elizabeth Craft Designs: Strawberries

All inks: Altenew

The Card Concept Summer: Tropical Treats

Hello everyone, and welcome to the Card Concept, Summer edition. Yes,

this year, with all it's Covid Sheltering, some of us at the Card Concept

decided to continue with our challenges instead of taking the summer off.

Want to join the fun?

Here's our inspiration photo:

Irrisistably delicious inspiration, isn't it?

The colors of course, always inspire, and I loved the floral elements too.

Hope you can find some time to create a card and join the fun. 

Choose a style or create one of your own. We love seeing what you do!

The amazingly beautiful hibiscus blooms for one day, then closes for the others.

This one, graces my garden, and is 8 to 9" in diameter!

Also adding my card to the latest Flower Challenge Summer/Winter.

My card... definitely summer!

We're celebrating all things summer here in my valley! 

The Flower Challenge #46 Summer/ Winter

Hope your summer is off to a great start! A safe one too!

Altenew: Hibiscus Garden 3D Die, Watercolor Stripes Cover Die

The Greetery: sentiment